Power-transmission mechanism.



' J. SWANSON. POWER TRANSMISSION MECHANISM. APPLIOATION IILED JANJG, 1912.

1,035,654. P atentedAug.13,1912.

Fig. 1.

lfi Tl I, 4 I 2 3140c 14 for JACOB SWANSON, or nnvnnron'r, IOWA.

POWER-TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern: v Be it known that I, JACOB Swanson, sub ject of the King of Norwa resident of Davenport, in the county of gcott and State of Iowa, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Power-Transmission Mechanism and I declare the following to be a full,

I clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the invention, reference being had to-the accompanying drawings, andto letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side view of the invention as applied. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section of the invention. Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly in section, showing the front axle, and the pulley sections turned to one side. Fig. 4 is a detail fragmentary view of a gear wheel driving mechanisn'i-to be used in place of a belt driving mechanism. The invention has relation to gearing for the transmission of power, designed particularly for application to motor cars or trucks, having for its object to gear up or positively drive both the front and rear axles of the car from the engine and at the same time enable the front axle and its wheels to be turned to one side or the other in steer- Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention, the numeral 1 designates the engine shaft of a motor car, 2 the rear axle, having a driving connect-ion 3 with the engine, and 4 the front axle, having a driving connection 5 with the rear axle, preferably through the medium of the rear axle. This driving connection 5 includes abeltor chain 6 passing over a sectional pulley 7 upon the front axle, said sectional pulley being described as follows 1 8 is an inner ring or annulus surrounding and concentric with the axle and having a fast connection 9 therewith. Surrounding this annulus are a series of concentric annuli, preferably four as shown. The outermost annulus 10 carries diametrically opposite pivot studs 11, upon which turns an annulus 12, which carries pivot studs 13, upon which turns the next inner annulus 14, which carries pivot Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed January 16, 1912. Serial No. 671,520.

Patented An". 13, 1912 studs 15, upon which turns the next inner annulus 16, said annulus 16 having diametrically opposite studs 17 which constitute its driving connection with the innermost annulus 8. These studs 17 will in some positions of the pulley form pivot studs upon which the annulus 16 will turn, and the pivot studs 13, in difiz'erent positions of the pulley, act as pivots for either the annulus 12 or the annulus 14. The pivot studs 15 will, in different positions of the pulley, act as pivots for eitherthe annulus 14 or the annulus 16. In this way each of the three intermediate annuli may turn upon either of two different pairs ofpivots, thus increasing the flexibility of the pulley.

The annulus 12 has a transverse groove or grooves 18, in its peripheral surface, engaged by stop pins 19 of the outermost annulus 10, said ins contacting with the end walls 20 of said grooves to limit the pivolal movement of the ring 12 to one. side or the other. The ring 14 has a transverse groove or grooves 21 in its outer peripheral surface, engaged by stop pins 22 of the ring 12 to limit the pivotal movement of the ring 14; and the ring 16 has a transverse groove or grooves .23, engaged by stop pins 24 to limit its pivotal movement, said ring 16 having also astop pin or pins 25 projecting from its inner peripheral surface and engaging a transverse groove or grooves 26 of the innermost annulus to limit the pivotal movement of the rin 16 when it turns upon the pivots 17. In li \e manner the stop devices for the ring 16 may act as stops for,

the ring 14 when it turns upon the pivots 15.

The number of concentric annuli may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention, it being desired to use a sufficient number to accomplish the result, which requires a certain flexibility of the pulley, to enable the pulley sections or annuli to turn upon each other, when the axle is moved in steering, in any position which the pulley may'occupy when the steering mcchanism is operated. Each annulus as 1t turns upon its pivots carries with-it to a greater or less extent the next adjacent annulus, through the medium of the pivot studs connecting the annuli, and as the pulley turns or rotates as a whole, the respective annuli upon the inclined axle will move from side to side upon their pivots. The greater the number of concentric annuli, the greater the number of pivots and the number of different' angular relations to the axle, and the greater the flexibility of the pulley. It is preferred to provide opposite guide wheels 27, which contact with the lateral. faces of the outermost annulus and keep it at right angles to the axle. "At high speeds these guide wheels will not be needed.

llavlng thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is outer rotatable annulus capable of rotating always'in the same plane, a plurality of intermediate annuli, each of which has a separate pivotal connection with-the adjacent annulus at each side, the separate pivotal connection: being angularly disposed and each intermediate annulus being capable of swinging upon either of its pivotal connec tions, to either side, the pivotal connections acting also as driving connections between the annuli to rotate the "same with the shaft,

and means tor limiting the side swing of the intermediate annuli to communicate the lateral movement from within outward, consisting of pins working in grooves and having cont-act with the end walls of said grooves.

In testimony whereof I a'l'hx my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JACOB SWANSON.

"Witnesses:

O. T. SvnNsnN, C. H. PETERSON. 

